Apparatus for mounting a display and a display control element

ABSTRACT

A display mount system comprises a display mount, a display, a display control element, and a bracket. The bracket is secured to all of the display mount, the display, and the display control element. The bracket facilitates the supporting of both the display and the display control element in very close proximity with one another and without using a second mount (i.e., in addition to the display mount).

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority from, and incorporates by reference, provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/857,757, filed Nov. 8, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to display mounts, and more particularly, to a bracket that is configured to be mounted to a display mount while simultaneously supporting both a display and a related display control element.

Display mounts are now used in many commercial, industrial, and consumer applications for mounting flat panel displays. A display mount is typically secured to a fixed location such as a wall or ceiling. The distal end of a display mount includes a mounting plate for mounting a display. The Video Electronics Standard Association (“VESA”) has set forth a family of standards for mounting flat panel displays. The family of standards is known as the Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI) or the VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS), while a display mount employing the standard is simply known as a VESA mount. Most modern flat-panel displays (e.g., monitors and televisions) employ a VESA mount.

A VESA mount consists of a standardized array of screw holes so that display mounts and displays can be secured to one another. In other words, A VESA mount allows for the mounting of a display employing an overlapping and standardized array of screw holes.

Recently, it has become common practice to introduce a display control element that is located in proximity to the display. The purpose of the control element is to enable a display to show a variety of content in addition to, or in place of, conventional broadcast content such as terrestrial, cable, and satellite television. The utility of the control element is to determine what and where content will be displayed. The control element may be used for a variety of purposes, including the receipt, positioning, or recording of content or to report on content display schedules. The content may include conventional broadcast content (as described above) as well as information provided by means of solid state memory, media (e.g., hard drive, CD, and DVD) or networks (e.g., wireless, wired, and fiber).

When a control element is employed in the proximity of a display, the control element is not typically positioned directly adjacent to, or in contact with, the display or display mount. For example, a wall-mounted display may include a control element that is separately mounted to the wall, several inches or feet from the display. The control element transmits to the display through the use of cables or wires that traverse the several inches or feet to connect the control element to the display. As the display mount does not house or support the control element, separate provisions are employed to mount the control element and to secure it from damage or theft, and to communicably connect the control element to the display.

Thus, a need exists for a display mount that can serve as an integrated mounting platform for both a display and a display control element. Further, a need exists for security for such a display control element mounted in what may be a public venue. Finally, a need exists for a suitable housing to provide the proper environment for the display control element, which consists of electronic components sensitive to environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, and dust.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a display mount system. The display mount system includes a bracket configured to be mounted on a display mount. The display mount may be, for example, of a ceiling-mount or wall-mount variety. The bracket is configured to receive and support both a display and a related display control element.

The bracket facilitates the supporting of both the display and the display control element in very close proximity with one another. Because the bracket is able to secure the display control element in close proximity with the display, very little wiring or cables are needed in order for the display to receive signals from the display control element. Thus, the display control element and therefore the display's content can be controlled locally.

The display control element does not need to be separately mounted. It is integrated by the bracket into a conventional mounting system (i.e., a display and display mount).

Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide for the security of the display control element from theft or tampering and for the protection of the display control element from environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, and dust.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a rear isometric view of a display, a display control element, and a bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of a display mount for use with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front isometric view of a bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front isometric view of a display control element and a bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings, certain embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a flat panel display 10 viewed from a rear perspective. The display 10 includes a screen for viewing purposes, but the screen is not visible in the illustrated perspective. FIG. 1 also illustrates a bracket 12, which is secured to (or mated with) both the display 10 and a display control element 14. The purpose of the control element 14 is to control the content shown on the display 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates a display mount 20 for use in mounting a display to a ceiling. The display mount 20 includes a pole 22 having a top end 24 that includes a ceiling-engaging plate 26 and a bottom end 28 that includes display-engaging hardware 30. The ceiling-engaging plate 26 can be secured to a ceiling by inserting appropriate screws through the two screw holes 27. The display-engaging hardware 30 includes a display-engaging plate 32 for mounting the display 10. The display-engaging plate 32 includes two sets of four screw holes 34 and 36 in compliance with two VESA Mounting Interface Standards. The inner four holes 34 are separated from one another by 100 mm intervals 35. The outer four holes 36 are separated from one another by 200 mm intervals 37. The display 10 can be mounted directly to the display-engaging plate 32 using screws that match one of the sets of holes 34 and 36.

There is nothing novel regarding the display mount 20 depicted in FIG. 2. However, instead of mounting the display 10 directly to the display-engaging plate 32 of the display mount 20 as is typically customary, certain embodiments of the present invention employ the display 10 mounted to the bracket 12, which, in turn, is mounted tQ the display-engaging plate 32 of the display mount 20. In other words, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, the bracket 12 is physically positioned between the display 10 and the display-engaging plate 32 of the display mount 20. Thus, the display 10 is not directly secured to the display mount 20 as is typically customary in the field.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the bracket 12 in isolation. The bracket 12 includes a display-engaging surface 40, a display mount-engaging surface 41, a control element-engaging surface 42, and a non-engaging surface 43. Together the four surfaces 40-43 form a rectangular periphery encompassing empty space. The empty space can be accessed via a rectangularly-shaped top opening 46 of the bracket 12 and a rectangularly-shaped bottom opening 48 of the bracket 12.

The display-engaging surface 40 includes two sets of four screw holes 34 and 36 in compliance with two VESA Mounting Interface Standards. The inner four holes 34 are separated by 100 mm intervals 35. The outer four holes 36 are separated by 200 mm intervals 37.

The display mount-engaging surface 41 includes eight screw holes 34 and 36 arranged in the same manner as the sets of screw holes 34 and 36 on the display-engaging surface 40. (In FIG. 3, only one screw hole 36 is visible on the display mount-engaging surface 41.)

The control element-engaging surface 42 includes a bottom end 49 that extends beyond the other three surfaces 40, 41, and 43 of the bracket 12. The bottom end 49 includes a locking hole 50 and a screw hole 51. The locking hole 50 is configured to receive an externally applied security device such as a padlock. The display control element may include a corresponding and overlapping locking hole (not shown) so that, for example, a padlock could be passed through it as well as through the locking hole 50 of the bracket 12, thereby securing the bracket 12 and the control element 14 to one another.

The screw hole 51 on the bottom end 49 of the control element-engaging surface 42 may be used to secure the bracket 12 to a corresponding and overlapping screw hole (not shown) of the control element.

The control element-engaging surface 42 also includes two tabs 52 that are formed from the control element-engaging surface 42. The tabs 52 protrude outward (i.e., in a direction away from the empty space encompassed by the four surfaces 40-43) of the bracket 12 for engaging cutouts formed in the housing 70 of the control element 14 (see FIG. 4).

The non-engaging surface 43 includes a seam 54, formed by the manufacturing process of the bracket 12. The bracket 12 is formed from a single metal plate that is subsequently folded 90 degrees in four places creating the rectangular shape of the bracket 12. After being folded, the rectangular shape of the bracket 12 is strengthened by the seam 54. (The seam 54 is better illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4.)

Returning to FIG. 1, the display 10 includes a back surface 60, which is interrupted by a mounting surface 62 that protrudes rearwardly from the back surface 60 by a distance 64. A portion of the mounting surface 62 is mated with the bracket 12 via screws 65 that penetrate screw holes (not shown) in the mounting surface 62 of the display 10. (Only one of the screw 65 is visible in FIG. 1.) Although the screw holes in mounting surface 62 of the display 10 are not illustrated, they are in the same quantity and arrangement as the holes 34 and 36 on the display-engaging surface 40 of the bracket 12 as shown in FIG. 3

FIG. 4 illustrates, from a front perspective, the bracket 12 and the control element 14 secured to one another. The control element 14 includes a housing 70 that protects it from unauthorized access and from environmental conditions such as dust and humidity. The housing 70 includes a front surface 72 that includes two vents 74 for cooling the control element 14 during operation. When the bracket 12 is secured both to the control element 14 and to the display 10 (as is shown in FIG. 1), the vents 74 do not abut the back surface 60 of the display 10. Rather, there is a gap between the vents 74 and the back surface 60 because the mounting surface 62 of the display 10 protrudes rearwardly from the back surface 60 by the distance 64.

Although certain embodiments of the present invention (e.g., FIG. 1) do not illustrate wires or cables extending from the display control element to the display, it is well within the skill in the art to establish such a wire or cable connection. It is also appreciated by those of skill in the art that very little wiring or cable is needed to connect the display control element to the display since they are so closely arranged with one another.

While certain embodiments of the present invention employ a 4-walled rectangularly-shaped bracket, other embodiments may include brackets of other shapes such as, for example, a 2-walled L-shaped bracket. A first wall of such an L-shaped bracket could provide a display-engaging surface and a display-mount-engaging surface on its opposing sides while a second wall could provide the control element-engaging surface.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A display mount system, comprising: a display mount; a display; a display control element; and a bracket, said bracket secured to each of said display mount, said display, and said display control element.
 2. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said bracket is positioned between said display and said display mount.
 3. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said display control element is not visible from a position in front of said display.
 4. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said display control element includes a housing for protecting said display control element from an environmental condition.
 5. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said display control element includes a housing for protecting said display control element from unauthorized access.
 6. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said display mount and said bracket employ overlapping arrays of screw holes in compliance with a VESA Mounting Interface Standard.
 7. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said bracket and said display employ overlapping arrays of screw holes in compliance with a VESA Mounting Interface Standard.
 8. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said bracket and said display control element have substantially the same thickness as one another.
 9. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein each of said display control element and said bracket includes a locking hole, each of said locking holes overlapping with each other in an orientation configured to receive a lock.
 10. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said bracket is formed from two walls that are generally perpendicular to each other, a first of said two walls secured to both of said display and said display mount, a second of said two walls secured to said display control element.
 11. The display mount system of claim 1, wherein said display, said bracket, and said display mount employ overlapping arrays of screw holes in compliance with a VESA Mounting Interface Standard, said screw holes configured to receive screws that penetrate all three of said display, said bracket, and said display mount.
 12. A bracket, comprising: a first mounting surface configured to mate with a display; a second mounting surface configured to mate with a display control element; and a third mounting surface configured to mate with display mount.
 13. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said first mounting surface employs an array of screw holes in compliance with a VESA Mounting Interface Standard.
 14. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said third mounting surface employs an array of screw holes in compliance with a VESA Mounting Interface Standard.
 15. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said first and third mounting surfaces are on opposite sides of said bracket.
 16. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said first and third mounting surfaces are spaced apart from one another to create an interstitial space, said interstitial space being of substantially the same thickness as a thickness of a display control element, said display control element being mated with said bracket.
 17. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said first and third mounting surfaces are generally parallel to one another, and wherein said second mounting surface is generally perpendicular to said first and third mounting surfaces.
 18. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said first and third mounting surfaces are formed on opposite sides of a first wall, and wherein said second surface is formed on a side of a second wall, said first and second walls being generally perpendicular to one another.
 19. The bracket of claim 17, further comprising a fourth surface that is generally parallel to said second mounting surface, said bracket being hollow in the area circumscribed by said four surfaces.
 20. The bracket of claim 12, further comprising finger tabs configured to mate with a set of slots on a display control element.
 21. The bracket of claim 12, wherein said second surface includes a threaded hole for mating with a complimentary threaded hole on a display control element.
 22. The bracket of claim 12, further comprising a locking hole configured to receive a lock. 